The Errant's Hearth
by TraipsingExodus
Summary: Brief looks into the lives of Johannes and Viola as they carve a place for themselves in Sinnoh's turbulent landscape, still experiencing an upheaval as laws, attitudes and the lines long etched between man and Pokemon are erased and drawn anew.
1. Chapter 1

Johannes poked his Swinub's nose with a small smile on his face – it snorted happily in response. "Sure am glad I caught him," he said, rolling the pokemon over to scratch its stomach. "Way better than a souvenir, I think. Though you look like you're pretty happy with yours."

Beside him, he heard a musical giggle. Placid chimes came alive in his head. "I won't have to constantly borrow your own ill-fitting sweaters now," replied Viola. She leaned over to stroke the Swinub's stomach as well.

"Not that you cared though, eh?" He said, elbow nudging her side playfully. "I hope the weather back in Celestic isn't too warm for him though, I don't think he'll take to being shaved all that well. What do you think?"

The Gardevoir cuddled against him as a shiver ran through her. "I think despite the efforts of this purchase, I'm cold," she said. Johannes looked down at her, and the smug grin curling at the edge of her lips. He put an arm around her and pulled her closer.

"You're the one that wanted to sit outside, but I see your angle, don't think I don't," he said in mock exasperation. He looked down at her and smiled. "Clever one, aren't we?"

Viola beamed. "I haven't a clue what you're talking about Johannes," came the chimes. "What are you implying?" He lifted her chin and simply kissed her. Amid a fit of self-satisfied snickers as he pulled away, she added, "I _was_ hoping it would start to snow – this was just a-"

"Just a very easy little plus you could sneak in," he finished for her. The researcher took a sip from his hot cocoa. "I'm sure you'll get your wish, don't worry. Your other one, I mean. I think you already got the first one." He felt her arm wrap around to his side and her head fall onto his shoulder. He smiled.

The waitress at the cafe _had_ looked rather surprised when he'd requested to be seated outside, given the inevitability of more snow, especially after informing her that he didn't have a fire-type along with him to act as a natural furnace.

He glanced about the outdoor seating area at the other tables. Some bore a thick layer of snow atop them, while others were completely clean – and surrounded by a rather large damp patch caused by the excess heat radiating from their occupants. He chuckled at the sight of a table bearing a Charmeleon, Heatmor and Darumaka – all which seemed to be clamoring over a tray of sweets their (now thoroughly overwhelmed) Trainer was attempting to divvy up between them.

"Are you and your partner enjoying everything?" came a voice. Johannes turned away from the scene and looked up at the waitress attending them.

He nodded. "Everything's great, thanks. Uh, Viola, you want some more cocoa?" he asked, turning to look down at the crown of her head. She glanced up at the waitress and nodded enthusiastically before slumping back onto Johannes.

The waitress inclined her head and said, "I'll have it out soon."

Johannes thanked her and turned to look out at the looming figure of Mt. Coronet. He was grateful that Viola had successfully pestered, pleaded and pined to visit Snowpoint. The idea of being out in the cold for any longer than he needed be, never mind willfully sitting out exposed to the elements, was not particularly appealing. And yet here they were doing just that - and now, far from wanting to leave, he wished that their vacation wasn't already nearing its end. The wind picked up and brought with it snowfall. With a smile, he twitched his shoulder and whispered, "Looks like you got your wish." He put his arm around her and brought her closer. "Remind me to let you pick the next vacation spot too. Can't believe I almost turned this place down."

A soft array of colors and the feeling of flattered glee twinkled in his head. "I will admit, I _have_ been deliberating on where to visit next a fair bit over the last several days. Perhaps Unova? No, wait, instead, what about Kalos? I've caught snippets of conversation here and there that speak of beautiful cities and countrysides alike in that region," she intoned. Viola gave the approaching waitress a smile as she set down a fresh mug of cocoa before her and thanked her telepathically. She continued, the feelings of glee pouring out of her now replaced with mounting excitement overflowing into the recesses of Johannes's head, "It would be wonderful!" She paused. "Though different," she belled, somewhat dejected. She pulled her head up from his chest and looked him in the eyes. "It's not like home, is it?"

A small frown formed on his face. "Us, right?" he asked. She nodded. "No, not quite. It's not unbelievably different though."

Viola's expression brightened. "So is it like Hoenn?" she inquired.

His peered into his nearly empty mug of cocoa for a moment and then set it back down. His tone was hesitant. "No, it's not like Hoenn either," he began. "Not quite Unova too. Definitely not Johto or Kanto. It's somewhere in the middle of it all. We'd be foreign but definitely not unheard of, the news of the ban was too well publicized. But if the rumors that Takuma mentioned were true we'd definitely draw some funny looks in Kalos. Not quite for the reasons you think either. More tangentially related." He paused and furrowed his brow. "That doesn't really matter though, don't worry about that Viola. The best way to put it I think is: rare at the most, uncommon at the least."

The pokemon took a sip of her cocoa and nodded. The pleasant array of colors and feelings had largely given way to dull blues in both color and spirit in Johannes's head. "I'd still like to visit the region," she said at last, "Would you?"

Johannes smiled. "I would. Besides, we've got a bit over a year before this job ends, and we can take a far longer vacation when that happens. Though being here in Sinnoh's felt like its own vacation." He paused and mulled the thought over. "Do you think that last fruit basket I sent Eric was large enough?" he asked. Viola laughed. "I mean it. I can't go more than few weeks without it hitting me that I got stupid lucky." He peered about. "And I really should have asked for another mug of cocoa myself." He glanced at Viola's, who responded by immediately snatching up the beverage and turning away from Johannes, soft laughter tinkling into the frigid air. "Oh come on Viola, don't be like that. And get back here, it's freezing."

She looked at him over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out. Playful chimes came to life in his head. "A toll. Only then will I "not be like that," as you said. Is that agreeable, dearest?"

Johannes rolled his eyes. "You know several years ago you were talking about how to properly ask for kisses," he said in mock annoyance. "And now-" A delicate finger came to his lips.

Lower, loving, almost sultry were the tones. "I demand them." She kissed him. Finally, she pulled away, a wide smile on her face.

"You got your toll," he said, smiling himself, "Now where's that sip you owe me?"

She kissed him again.


	2. Chapter 2

The end of the year was fast approaching and work had begun to slow in the wake of employees from the Historical Research Center leaving on vacation to visit family across Sinnoh and in other regions for the holidays. The slow trickle of employees left the building feeling progressively colder and lonelier, and he noticed his footsteps echoing louder in the halls every day.

He trotted down the hall to his office, shared with several other employees any other time of year, now bearing just a single one: Nora, a quiet girl with glasses that made her eyes appear three times larger than they were. As expected, she was hunched over in her chair, poring over a book with a comically large magnifying glass and muttering to herself. Johannes had said precious little to her outside of his introductions and the odd question he asked her (she had made a study of Sinnoh's development as a region and the emergence of its various cities), but determined to avoid a day of shuffling papers and quiet mutters, sat down beside her and dropped his binder of notes on the table with a loud thud. Nora jumped and nearly dropped her magnifying glass, and with a terrified squeak said, "Wh-what? Hello? Johannes?"

"Hey Nora. Sorry for startling you, but there's no one else here and I'd rather not go mad in the silence. No one else showing up today?"

She shook her head and turned back to her book. "N-no, I don't think so. I'll be leaving myself in a few hours actually." She turned the page and frowned – the text on this page was written mostly in Middle Sinnohan, a language that was infamous for being particularly dense. "I might even leave now, I really don't want to start deciphering this."

"What is it?" asked Johannes, squinting at the words. "I'm no great shakes at... Early Sinnohan, is it?"

Nora took a few notes down on a sheet of paper and scratched the side of her head. "No, Middle. Unfortunately."

"Why is that unfortunate?"

"Because it's about twice as complex." She pulled her oversized glasses from her face and let her head fall onto the book with a sigh. A mess of black hair engulfed a sizable portion of the table. She shook her head back and forth, grinding her forehead into the text, and a muffled voice said, "For stupid reasons too. Lousy kings and their fancy talk."

Johannes chuckled and turned to his own text. He'd been given a few months to work on an independent project, and so he took to reaching for the top shelf and compiling work on the behaviors of Palkia and Dialga in folklore. The Research Center offered a great deal of old texts that offered him a variety of accounts, but he had used the opportunity as a reason to travel the region and talk to elders in various towns and cities. The amount of oral tradition that remained in Sinnoh astounded him – it was nothing like Hoenn. He rifled through his notes and marked a few passages with red pen. The main issue that he'd run into is, while the stories were fascinating and sometimes even historical, the behavior of the Pokemon in them was wildly inconsistent.

He sighed and reclined in his chair. It was like this for most of these "legendary" creatures. Conflicting accounts of fantastic beings sowing ruin and prosperity alike in their wake was nothing new to him. And precious little about their behavior was ever revealed to him in these tales he heard. They seemed to center around how unknowable these creatures were to begin with, and it was frustrating. About the only information he could really suss out was that Dialga and Palkia clashed, and spectacularly at that. Why was anyone's guess, and so most of Johannes's research was spent flipping through book after book, piecing together a theory to present to his colleagues that every day looked more and more like a rehashed version of every other theory that dealt with the duo. He closed his eyes. Another boring presentation on the "unknowable nature of gods" seemed on the horizon, a veritable waste of his time.

"Johannes? Someone's here to see you."

He sat up in his seat and looked over at the door. Framed in it was Viola, wearing an overlarge sweater and a wide grin. She looked to Nora – the woman had begun to fade away into whiteness - and inclined her head in thanks before gliding to Johannes and sitting in his lap. As she moved closer, the floor and the walls began to dissolve. "Wake up Johannes," she chimed. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. "It's time to wake up."

The world around Johannes faded away into white completely, leaving just him, Viola and the chair he sat on floating in an endless expanse.

* * *

The cheerful crackles of the fireplace mixed together with the constant patter of rain unseen in the dark on the windows had lulled Johannes to sleep without his knowledge, and his dreams had turned to his work. He straightened up and felt a weight upon him. "Enjoy strolling through my dreams?" he mumbled sleepily. He turned a bleary eye to her. "Thought that was the realm of Gengar and Darkrai." He reached up and pinched her cheek. "You're not lying about being a Gardevoir right?"

Viola batted the offending hand away with a giggle. She sat across his lap much like she had been in his dream, her hands interlaced behind his neck. With the same smile he saw in his dream she leaned her head against his. "I am exactly who you see before you. And I didn't stroll through anything, dear. I was only trying to wake you," she explained.

"You showed up in my dream. Sat down like you were and told me to wake up."

"Then perhaps that is something you should investigate. You have the resources, don't you?" She giggled and added, "Eventually, anyway. Enjoy your short respite from work." A hand came up and caressed his cheek, a petal falling gently to the earth.

"Probably gonna be related to psy-energy." He turned to kiss her forehead. "It's always psy-energy," he added, muffled. He pulled back and reclined his head against the couch. "Florence might have more information on that actually, I'll ask him when he gets back from his vacation." He turned his attention to the cheery crackles of the fire and dim patter of the rain again. "Second year in Sinnoh was a hell of a lot more comfortable than the first, don't you think?" He sat up straight again and threw Viola a grin before looking around his living room.

Soft couches sat in the center of the room before a coffee table laden with books and binders. Before them both was the fireplace, flanked by abstract statues Viola had chiseled from a small boulder from the backyard they had cracked in two. They were among the first things she'd chiseled, and bore no particular form save a vague humanoid appearance. Johannes smiled at the memory of when she finished them – he'd said they looked like they were melting and was met with a pout and a light shove of his shoulder.

The visual arts seemed to had taken hold of Viola during her stays at home the rare times that the two of them weren't traveling to other cities for research reasons. In the corner of the room sat a tarp splattered with paint, upon which stood an easel that bore a yet unfinished oil painting. According to her, it was a landscape she had envisioned, though it looked like no place he'd ever been to before. Or even conceived of. Odd, alien shapes similar to the melting figures she'd carved from stone, each harboring a strange gradient of colors within their bodies, and set against a landscape of seemingly random color choices adorned the canvas. The only sense he could make of the entire portrait was a single, thin black line, drawn almost unnaturally straight, that bisected the painting lengthwise. She said it was the horizon. Boxes containing supplies, her palette and brushes, and a painter's smock sat on a stool beside the easel.

"When are you gonna finish that painting anyway, Viola?" he asked, turning back to her.

She turned away from him and looked over at the easel. "It is nearly complete save for a few touches here and there." She shrugged. "Perhaps by the end of the wee-" The statement ringing in his head was cut off by an audible gasp; he'd taken advantage of her turned head and nipped at her neck.

"Cute as ever." he whispered, a small smile on his face.

Her head whipped back around, her face set in a pout. "Every chance you get you take, don't you?" range her voice in his head.

He pushed her gently back onto the couch, the smile on his face widening and hovered over her. "Not a problem now, is it?"

A hand came up to his cheek and cupped it. She sat up slightly to kiss him and fell back down onto the soft cushions below her. Her hand came back down and the sounds of a belt unbuckling tinkled in the air. She tossed a delicate white belt bearing a Pokeball onto the rug beneath the coffee table, where it landed with a soft thud. The patter of rain became a loud staccato upon the windows, and the roar of the wind came alive outside.

Two words sprang up into his head amid a warm rush of soft pinks and deep reds.

"Now yours."

* * *

Johannes shifted about with some difficulty; Viola's slender frame had, rather valiantly, pinned him mostly to the back of the couch, and he feared if he tried to squirm any more than he already was he'd knock her off. With an indulgent smile he thought, "Wouldn't be the first time though." His eyes blinked open and looked down at the soft blanket covering him and Viola. He peered about the room and rested his eyes on the windows; the rain outside had long since become a steady patter again, and the wind was no longer rattling the windows, the fire had died – though now meek beams light filtered into the room and died on the surface of the polished wood floors. He yawned and pulled Viola closer to him, then buried his face in the crown of her head.

"Sleep well?" sang a voice in his head.

"Apart from being squished against the back of the couch. As always, I might add. You're half my width but act like you're twice it with how much room you take up on the couch." He felt her giggle into his chest then shuffle up to come face to face with him. He brushed a kiss lightly against her lips. "I should probably buy some gifts to send off to my parents today. I've put it off long enough." He rolled onto his back and felt one of her legs lock with his. "Also have to buy a gift for a certain couch hogger." A hand began drawing circles on his chest idly.

"She sounds dreadful." mused Viola.

"I don't remember saying she was a girl." teased Johannes. "But you're right. And she is dreadful. I hope you never have to meet her."

"But I could put her right if I did, dear. I could get her to stop taking up so much room on couches and smearing paint on you when you're not looking."

"I didn't tell you anything about that." responded Johannes in mock surprise. "You oughta stop reading my mind so much Viola. I thought you said you could hardly manage it with all the other stuff you've got buzzing around up there."

She laughed. "Oh I still catch thoughts here and there. I just have to focus very hard. Usually I only catch fragments. Little wisps and then..." She raised her hand and swished it through the air. "They're gone."

"Well what am I thinking right now?" he asked, turning his head slightly to look at her.

Viola rolled over onto Johannes and looked him in the eyes, her face set. For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of the rain.

"I love you."


	3. Chapter 3

" _Johannes, stop."_ The tones playing in his head were pleading and holding back the characteristic quivers of laughter. Viola squirmed away from him, easel in one hand and brush in the other. " _I'm trying to paint and you keep -agh!"_

With a grin he tickled her side again with a dry brush he had in his own hand and replied, "Come on, it can't be that difficult to paint like this. Just hold the brush up with psychic energy instead."

Viola pouted and sight unseen to him, lifted a large squared brush sitting in a bucket nearby telepathically to dip it in a considerable amount of paint before launching it directly Johannes. With a quiet _splat_ it hit side of his head, staining a sizable portion of his face and hair a brilliant yellow. His smile faltered for a second, and with a smug grin Viola turned back to her easel. " _Now get cleaned up and let me finish-"_ Her entire back shivered as Johannes ran a brush thick with paint down it.

"Come on, you really turned your back on me after pulling something like that?" laughed Johannes. He colored a small portion of the red heart piece sticking out of her back a deep blue before she wriggled away from him.

She wheeled around tossed her brush to the side with a pout. " _War, is it?"_ She slapped her hand onto her palette, covering it in a rainbow of acrylics and launched herself a Johannes, catching him full in the face and leaving a psychedelic streak of colors running down from his forehead to his chin. The peculiar tinkle of her laughter filled the air as the two dropped to the ground with a loud thud.

"Argh, get off Viola," mumbled Johannes through her hand. He groped blindly for the stool bearing tubes of acrylic paint and knocked it over as Viola gleefully rubbed her hand across his face, and then began to grope around for a tube of paint. He reached up with his free hand and pulled her hand away from his face, bringing Viola's laughter into near-hysterics.

" _Your face! Just look at your fa- ah!"_ The gardevoir's laughter came to an abrupt halt and Johannes flipped the cap on a tube of red acrylic paint and squeezed a sizable portion of it directly into her hair and on a sizable portion of her head spikes. With a frown, she waved a finger reprovingly at Johannes. " _Dear, you know these paints are rather expensive. You shouldn't be so quick to waste them."_

"What but you can? Don't be a hypocrite Viola!" replied Johannes incredulously.

With an evil grin Viola shrugged. " _I do believe that_ I'm _the painter here."_ She bent forward and brought her face an inch from his, eyes twinkling with glee. " _I'm exempt from that rule."_ She pulled away and revealed several tubes of paint floating above Johannes, pointing straight at him.

"Oh for fuck's-" A flurry of paint splattered against his face, neck and chest, and when he had wiped the excess paint away and sputtered some that had gotten into his mouth out, he reached forward and wiped his hand directly down Viola's triumphant face and then her chest.

He watched her sputter distastefully and wipe the paint from her own face, leaving streaks of greens, oranges and purple against the brilliant white skin beneath. She reached for his face again to smear it with still more paint but he caught her hands and pulled her down towards him to kiss her. "Gotcha. Won't be covering me in paint any more," he said when she pulled away.

Viola wriggled her hands loose and brought them up to cup the sides of his face. " _Fine."_ She kissed him again. " _This is far better anyway."_ With a muffled chuckle, Johannes wrapped his arms around her when she pulled away abruptly and sat up, sputtering all the while. " _Except for this paint. It tastes awful_."

Johannes roared with laughter. "You're the one that decided to coat my face in paint, you should have expected the consequences."

" _Your tongue, your lips - they taste_ horrendous. _Why does this paint taste so awful anyway?"_ She picked a tube of paint up from the ground and gazed at it dispassionately before tossing it aside. With a sigh she looked around at the splatters of paint that adorned the tarp she'd laid out - through dumb luck alone they had avoided making a mess of the floor and walls. " _Well, we don't have to do much cleaning - oh. I should have remembered this."_ Her eyes had trailed down to the stark white belt she was wearing and the myriad flecks and streaks of paint it now bore. A soft wave of blues flickered to life in Johannes's head.

"Don't worry about it Viola," said Johannes bracingly, "It'll probably wash off." He reached up and stroked one of the spikes protruding from the side of her face before cupping her cheek. She brought a hand up to grasp his absently. "And if not we can just go get you a new belt. Or belts." With a small smile, Viola nodded. "As a matter of fact, we can just go today. Let's get showered and we can head off-"

A knock on the front door rang out in the living room. Johannes furrowed his brow. "Coming!" he shouted at the door. "Get up please Viola, no idea who might be calling on us today." The two got to their feet and Viola began to clean up the mess of paints

" _It_ is _the weekend, so it is likely not work related, yes?"_ she asked telepathically. Johannes shrugged and headed to the door.

"No clue," he called back to her. He looked through the peephole of the door, revealing a man in an overcoat with a thin cigarette hanging from his mouth and clutching a clipboard. To his left stood a Luxray, pawing the ground idly. Johannes unbolted the door and cracked it open. "Can I help you sir?"

"Mr. Talburn?" said the man, looking at the thin slit of Johannes's face that was visible. Johannes nodded. "I'm Taylor Franco, a representative of the Human Interest Coalition of Sinnoh. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

Johannes cracked the door open further and sighed. "HICS? I heard a little about you on the news I think. Aren't you-"

"A representative of a committee dedicated to the preservation of the position that _people_ occupy in today's wildly changing Sinnoh. You own Pokemon, correct?" Johannes nodded. "Do any occupy the CC-stratum or higher for intelligence?"

"Yes, Viola does. She's a Gardevoir. But I wouldn't really say I own-"

A figure behind Taylor shouted at the two men. "Hey! I knew you'd be making your rounds here!" It was a woman's voice. Johannes looked over Taylor's shoulder and saw a short, brown-haired woman in a suit stomping up the walkway to his home. She too was clutching a clipboard and had a Lilligant bouncing feverishly behind her, attempting to keep up.

"Feh." Taylor turned away from Johannes to look at the woman. "Didn't expect you to follow me here, Jennifer," he grumbled. The Luxray at his side growled.

"Of course I did! You're not about to go about bullying everyone into signing off on your petition if I've got anything to say about it!" she shot back. The Lilligant behind her was bent over, trying to catch her breath and let out a faint squeal of approval at Jennifer's statement.

"No one's bullying anyone here. Or was anyway, until you showed up," sneered Taylor.

"Who exactly are you?" asked Johannes. Just what I needed, he thought, crazy people arguing at my doorstep over gods know what.

"I'm Jennifer Mullens," she said, nodding at Johannes with a smile, "I belong to the Integrative Rights Assembly of Sinnoh, Celestic chapter." Almost as if on cue, the Lilligant behind her twirled, producing a gleeful squeal all the while.

"HICS and IRAS," muttered Johannes, "I hear about both organizations every so often on television."

"Then you're well aware of how vital _our_ mission is," said Taylor, looking over his shoulder back at Johannes.

"No, he's aware of how vital _our_ mission is," interjected Jennifer.

"I'm well aware that I don't have time for this," said Johannes shortly. "If you'll excuse me, the paint on my face is almost completely dry and I have to go wash it off. Thank you both for being so tactful as to not mention it, have a nice day, and please don't fight on my front porch." He closed the door and bolted it with a sigh. "Buncha lunatics." Something pressed into his back, and a wave of calm washed over Johannes.

" _What's wrong Johannes?"_ rang a voice in his head.

"Nothing, nothing," he said quietly. "At least I hope so. Come on, let's get cleaned up."

Viola wheeled him around and climbed on his back. A three-fingered hand came into view from his periphery and pointed in the general direction of the bathroom. " _Away!"_

"Fine, but we're taking a bath instead of a shower."

She giggled in reply as her voice came to life in his head, " _You're going to look like a dried pecha berry if that's the case."_ She pinched his cheek and laughed in earnest. " _Just like all the other times."_

Johannes made his way to the bathroom, Viola hanging off his back. "Never not been worth it." He felt her press her lips against his cheek.

Soft reds and dull pinks came to life in Johannes's head as Viola replied, " _I quite agree._ "


	4. Chapter 4

"Say hi to Glory and the others for me then," said Johannes with a smile, looking down at Viola's lying figure and bending down to kiss her.

She gave Johannes a swift kiss and then rolled over in bed. " _I shall. I'll see you again when you return Johannes,"_ mumbled muted tones in his head. He felt a soft rush of pinks ebb across the ether of his thoughts and smiled. Viola drifted back to sleep a moment after she heard the front door snap shut and the bolt slam. When she awoke it was two hours later: nine a.m. With a yawn, she sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes groggily. Pottery class starts in one hour, she thought to herself. Somewhat more alert, she got to her feet and set off to the bathroom, thoughts divided between the prospect of breakfast and a hot shower.

Shower first. She sat on the toilet and drummed her fingers against her face, waiting for the water to warm, her thoughts now drifting to toast and pecha berry jam. Steam began to fill the bathroom and snapped her out of her reverie. A little too hot.

* * *

Viola emerged from her home a half hour later, now washed, fed and watered. Her belt rested on her waist, ball locked into place upon it. She closed the front door behind her with a snap and waved a hand at a large panel next to the knob. A loud clack and the slide and bang of a bolt locking into place confirmed the psy-lock interface had done its job, and so she set off for the road to head into Celestic proper, clutching a smock to her chest. She and Johannes lived on a road leading out of the town, about a half an hour's walk away from the town's center.

She watched the occasional car zip past and waved to a group of cyclers who returned it in kind. Johannes usually commuted to work with a coworker who passed by their home every morning on his way, though he did cycle when Nicholas couldn't give him a ride. Her thoughts turned to the pottery class that awaited her; a chance to engage in a creative outlet beyond painting and sculpting, as well as the opportunity to speak to Glory, Rose and Yosuke.

Glory's current project consumed her thoughts, as it was a rather large vase she intended paint after it had been fired. The designs she had in mind seemed a bit out of her league however, as she had demonstrated before that her ability to draw and paint was rather limited - even when compared to Viola's own abstract style. A symptom of her "combat medic" role as Glory liked to call it. Viola smiled to herself and looked about hopefully - with some luck she might run into one of the three as they made their ways to class as well.

She was fortunate, and caught sight of the familiar, bouncing figure of Rose. Viola caught up to the Lilligant, propelling herself forward frictionlessly, her feet an inch away from the ground and the folds of her dress flapping gently in the wind. " **As determined as ever to make it on your own, aren't you?"** she said with a knowing grin.

Rose nearly fell over in shock. Her tone was an array of squeaks and rustles, and carried a strange wetness present with the end of each of her sentences. Something like wood pulp dropping a few inches onto still more wood pulp. " **You scared me again! Stop that!"** She flapped her thin leaf-arms at Viola and, now quite out of breath, smoothed out the enormous flower blooming vibrantly atop her head and continued to bounce along. " **Have to. I can't let master do everything."** A pause. " **Been well?"**

Viola nodded. " **As ever. And yourself?"** She came to a stop at the street corner and fixed her eyes on the red traffic light and solid hand gesturing at the two of them. Her eyes drifted skyward. It was rather cloudy out today. " **How's your vase coming along Rose?"**

The light changed. Between bounces, her speech now a strange cadence, Rose replied, her head falling forward and her tone sad, " **Good. A bit wobbly though."** She looked up and raised a leafy arm, clenched in a poor approximation of a fist. " **I'll keep trying though! I have to make something my Trainer will be proud of!"** She paused and spun in place, the dejection completely gone from her voice and replaced with determined glee.

With a smile, Viola tapped Rose gently on the back. " **Let's continue along, shall we? I doubt you want to be late."** At that, the Lilligant snapped to attention and nodded enthusiastically, bounding after Viola's retreating back.

" **What have you been up to Viola? Other than making your pot?"** asked Rose, catching up to the Gardevoir.

" **Mm. Not much, Rose. Johannes has been talking to me at length about a paper he's been fretting over. He's rather worried his presentation on the Lake Guardians will be lacking. Emotion and knowledge, those are easy enough to explain, as many have a rather firm grasp of the concepts and how they relate to the Guardians. Emotion especially was rather easy to grasp in my case."** She touched a finger to the protrusion in the center of her chest. " **But willpower... That is always a bit difficult. Many find it to be more than simply the idea of 'will', and Johannes, along with many of his colleagues, say that it may have ties to the ghosts that walk among us - even beyond us, but…"** At the look of utter incomprehension on Rose's face she stopped and smiled. " **He's been up to a lot of research Rose and he explains it all thoroughly to me. I won't bore you with the details."**

At this, the confusion melted from Rose's face, replaced with contentedness and glee.

* * *

There was rather little in the way of actually learning pottery this day, as most of the attendees were finishing their pots and vases. Viola saw the same three seats next to Glory unoccupied and walked languidly up to the seated Gardevoir. " **Early as always Glory?"**

With a smile, she stood up and pulled Viola into a short embrace. " **No, I'm just punctual - a quality you never could grasp, hm?"** she said, a smirk on her face.

Viola feigned indignation. " **Juniper never did quite get you to understand pleasantries did she?"** At the look of equally feigned shock upon Glory's face, she broke down into laughter. " **I accompany Rose whenever I come across her and she is rather...unsuited to moving anywhere with exceptional grace."** At that, Rose hopped into view and gave a cheery wave to Glory, hopping now towards the two Gardevoir.

Glory returned it and then looked back to Viola. " **I'll bring us our pottery."**

People and Pokemon - latecomers alike - were trickling into the room now; she kept her eyes peeled for Yosuke but the distinct form of a Haxorus never made itself present. Curious, she thought, he wasn't one to miss out on class, unusual as his presence was amid scores of decidedly less intimidating looking Pokemon. At the sound of Glory's return, Viola said, " **It seems Yosuke won't be joining us today. I wonder what happened?"**

Glory shrugged and set her pot upon the spinning wheel in front of her and began to work. " **You know how Yosuke is. Would just as soon leave with Juniper to challenge a gym as he would show up to this class."** A smile crept across Glory's face and she brushed stray strands of blue from her face to tuck them behind the spikes that protruded from the sides of her face, as she knelt forward to focus on her vase. " **Either way, he'll turn up again next week, forlorn and irritable from his loss."**

Chuckling, Viola began to work as well, glancing over now and again at Rose as she struggled to mold her own vase into something actually resembling one. She was getting closer each day, though Viola privately thought the Lilligant's arms were rather ill-suited to shaping clay into anything but vague, general shapes. She turned back to Glory. " **You give Yosuke too little credit. He's looking rather formidable lately. He may come back victorious."**

Her friend shrugged and continued to shape the vase in her hands. " **Perhaps so, but he's been looking increasingly formidable** _ **each**_ **time we see him - and it never seems to take now, does it?"**

With a sigh Viola nodded and smoothed the curvature of her pot. " **I get the feeling that Yun is a bit too focused on Yosuke's development - and rather less focused on the development of the rest of the team they work with."**

" **For the love of-"** Glory let out a long sigh and began smoothing a tear that formed in the lip of her vase. " **The lips of this vase will be the end of me.** " She worked over the tear with a frown on her face and continued, " **You may be right. Bring it up to him next time. You know how much Yun favors him, he might make his Trainer see sense."**

Viola worked her pot into a slightly squatter shape and then stretched her neck. " **Glory, I don't believe I've asked you before - is there any...ah, clothing, that you're particularly attached to?"**

Her friend glanced at her from the corner of her eye, her tongue held out between her lips and teeth in concentration. After a moment of furious adjustment of the defiant, torn edge of the vase's lip, she replied, " **Clothing? Nothing in particular. Juniper offers me a variety of cold weather clothing whenever we make our way north - but that's rather uncommon. Are you Viola?"**

She frowned and nodded. " **Yes. The weather has warmed up enough that wearing a scarf or sweater is a bit out of the question, but I rather enjoy it. They're warm and pleasant."** Her frown twisted into a smile and she continued, " **When it gets warm enough I might see if I can find a sunhat."** She added in a small voice, " **Maybe a sundress as well."**

" **Unusual as always, aren't we?"** replied Glory, a small smirk on her face. At the indistinct sound of indignation that rose in Viola's throat, she added, " **Never a dull conversation with you because of it."**

With a smile and roll of her eyes, Viola returned her attention to her pot. " **And you always manage to find a way to remind me of my...how did you put it?** _ **Anomalous**_ **nature?"**

" **I did it!"** interjected Rose, bouncing gleefully in her seat at the slightly tilted vase before her. " **My Trainer is gonna be so happy!"**

The Gardevoir to her right both gave her a smile and their congratulations and then returned to their own pottery as Rose stood and marched her unusual vase to a drying cupboard. " **She's rather happy,"** observed Viola.

" **Mm. The class, the vase - it was all her idea. She's probably exceptionally pleased about the entire ordeal.** " Glory ran her hands up and down the vase and sighed. She looked at Rose, preoccupied with an excited explanation she was giving the instructor about her vase and looked at Viola. " **Do you…"** Her gaze faltered and she shook her head. " **Nevermind. A silly question. Especially when it's directed at someone with a phase-mate."**

Unusual term for the state the protrusion in her chest existed in around Johannes. Viola frowned nevertheless, and pressed Glory. " **Ask away. I'm sure it is a perfectly valid question."**

The Gardevoir wiped her hands on her smock and sighed again. Glory brushed more strands of blue from her face and tucked them away. " **At times, a strange sort of melancholy grips me; I think of Rose and her kind. And then...I think of the Bidoof that Juniper and I pass by on our walks."** She interlaced her fingers and contemplated the vase before her, smoothed out completely and looking nearly ready for drying. Her command of the clay was decidedly better than Viola's, who fared far better with brush and paint. " **And pangs of jealousy rise up from somewhere within me. Rose is not quite like us, and Bidoof, even less so. But they are rather less burdened with...let us call it 'awareness' of their station. I wonder if Rose ever looks upon the horizon and sees beyond the picturesque sunset, into the gaping maw of existence."**

Glory shook her head and laughed. " **Listen to me."** She turned to look at Viola, a smile on her face. " **Creation saddled us with the means to cross the barrier in ways others cannot. I shouldn't bemoan the boons and burdens Arceus swore upon me."** Glory turned her vase slowly upon the swiveling base it sat upon. Her face was unreadable. " **What do you think Viola? Have I fallen for that old devil, melancholy?"**

" **I'm not sure Glory. I - I can't say I've given it much thought. These thoughts rarely occur to me and I-"**

Glory cut across Viola. " **-are fortunate enough to have a phase-mate to turn to, yes. With a single thought you wipe away the uncertainty and are left with the endless, sunny plains of all creation to contemplate and enjoy."** She sounded almost bitter. Perhaps she noticed, because when she continued, her voice was far softer, " **At times I wonder if it would be so easy to see melancholy off in the embrace of another."** Her tone shifted, it was almost self-pitying, " **Sweet irony, isn't it?"**

Viola cocked her head and furrowed her brow. _Embrace_. That was a term that Johannes used frequently in official contexts when referencing Viola. Could it be? " **I'm afraid I don't follow, Glory. Do you mean-"**

" **Yes, precisely. A moniker bestowed upon us by those we call master, friend, Trainer-"**

Viola cut her off. " **And lover."**

Glory smiled at Viola and shook her head. " **Yes, yes, for some, that too. And yet here I sit wondering if perhaps I'm broken. Never have I felt that moniker applies to me."** She reached out and grabbed one of the spikes protruding from Viola's face and gently ran her fingers from its base to the tip - it made Viola shiver. It was a decidedly personal action and yet it seemed as if Glory was treating it the same way she'd treat the shining of an apple. " **You wear that title proudly with Johannes. Strange as you are - I envy you."**

At a loss for words, Viola turned her attention to her pot and said somewhat lamely, " **Someone, something will fall into your lap, Glory. You catch eyes of all types, I'm sure you've noticed."**

The Gardevoir ran a finger along the orange spike protruding from her chest and sighed. " **Yes, I certainly do catch eyes. Times like these I wonder if it's worth it."**


	5. Chapter 5

Viola kicked her legs into the cool river water up and down and watched Rose frolic, a smile on her face. The lilligant bounced up and down in the water, squealing with glee and tossed a considerable amount of water directly at Viola. The gardevoir raised her hands instinctively to shield herself and felt her hair soak through a moment later. Laughing, she swept a gush of water back at Rose with the wave of her hand, sending her toppling over with a loud squeal.

" **Are you alright Rose?"** asked Viola in alarm.

The lilligant got to her tiny feet and shuddered from head to toe, sending droplets of water flying haphazardly through the air. With a nod, she resumed her gleeful frolicking.

Viola leaned back onto her hands and shifted her attention to Glory. She continued to kick her legs in the river and said, " **What a splendid way to see out an afternoon. Don't you think so, Glory?"**

The other gardevoir formed the sphere of water floating between her hands into a cube and then into a decahedron. A peculiar light sprang to life around her hands and as she pulled them apart, the water stretched out into a cylinder and then began to bubble, forming spikes along the surface. She felt Viola nudge her shoulder and a few of the spikes collapsed into the cylinder. She clenched her hands slowly, and as the glow faded from her hands the water splashed down into the river. She watched the ripples in the water for a moment and then turned to Viola.

Glory pulled loose strands of blue dangling before her face aside and tucked the hair behind the prongs upon her face. " **I suppose so Viola."** She looked up from the river and glanced over at her friend and managed a small smile. " **Forgive my glum attitude. I think I've been rather fixated on what we spoke about during pottery class a few hours ago."** Her eyes shifted to Viola's chest.

Glory leaned towards her, reaching out with a finger and bringing it to the tip of the brilliant red protrusion in her chest. She touched it lightly then slid her finger lightly down the edge before drawing her hand away. She did not notice the shiver run down Viola's spine. " **What is it like, Viola?"** She shifted her focus from the spike to Viola's face. " **Viola? Are you alright?"**

Viola caught what she imagined was a look of discomfort her face had set itself into and tried to smile. " **M-my apologies Glory. I was...preoccupied with another thought. What is what like exactly?"** She had known her friend to make unusual statements at times, alongside strange observations and occasionally wistful remarks, but she was never quite so carelessly hands-ons.

" **Having a phase-mate. Is it…"** Glory trailed off and paused, her expression contemplative. " **Is it unusual?"**

Viola cleared her throat and gazed determinedly at the river. " **Not at all Glory, though I don't understand what about it would be unusual in the first place,"** she replied.

" **No, no."** began Glory, " **You misunderstand. This crimson locus that the Alpha drove through our bodies. Does it feel unusual when you are with Johannes? When you are close to him and it phases into his body?"** She brought a finger to her own horn and tapped the tip. " **I am curious."**

Viola shifted uncomfortably and looked over at Rose as she hopped out of the river and splayed herself out on the grassy bank. Were it that I was so free from such strange questions, thought Viola privately. She looked back to Glory and nearly fell back, startled, when she saw the gardevoir staring directly at her, a foot away from her face. " **It, ah, are you feeling well Glory?"**

Her friend nodded and then tilted her head. " **Quite. Still somewhat glum, but far too curious now to really worry about that. I realize that perhaps I've had answers to my own questions sitting next to me every time I went to pottery class."** She kneeled before her, then took Viola's hands in hers, bringing them up and pulling them to her chest in a gesture of plea. " **Please Viola. There is something yet worthwhile. Perhaps some** _ **things**_ **even. I wish to know them, I wish to know that I was not burdened with the moniker '** _ **embrace'**_ **for the pleasant images it conjures in the mind alone."**

Viola took her hands gently from Glory and gestured for her to sit down. " **I..."** She paused. " **I will make an effort to answer your questions Glory, but please understand how-"** She trailed off at the look of gratitude that crossed her friend's face the moment she agreed to explain. With a sigh, she gestured again for Glory to sit down and leaned back on her hands once more. " **It throbs. Gently. Very, very gently. Imperceptible to Johannes I'm certain, especially since he's hardly aware of it at all."**

She paused and watched the anticipation twitching across Glory's features before sighing and continuing, " **I'm not entirely sure what else there is to say. When it has phased into him it…"** She paused again and tapped her chin. " **I feel warm, I suppose? Not a physical warmth. A mental one. Of sorts. Something like sitting in a sunny meadow in my mind."**

The look of eager anticipation on Glory's face seemed hardly abated by these details - if anything it had heightened. " **And? Anything else Viola? Surely there's more to it? Or perhaps..."** She was uncomfortably close to her again. " **When the two of you are mating, surely in your mind it must feel-"**

Viola scooted away from Glory and waved her comment down. " **Glory, please, that's rather personal. Why on earth are you so curious anyway? My own experiences are hardly going to translate to whatever it is you experience, don't you agree? It should be of little consequence how I feel or think when I'm doing, ah, anything."**

The anticipation and glee on Glory's face faded, replaced with the glum look from earlier. " **I suppose."** She let herself fall flat onto the grass and sighed, her breath catching on the blades and making them flutter. " **But perhaps it is necessary I ask. I may never know."** She plucked a blade of grass and made it float a few inches above her palm, then spun it slowly.

Viola laid back in the grass herself and stared up at the sky. " **I don't see why you'd never know. What is hindering you Glory?"**

Her friend rolled onto her back and crossed her hands on her stomach. " **My own heart I suppose."** Glory sighed and then continued, " **Or rather, it is failing to do much of anything. Juniper is kind and yet...She's simply my Trainer. I could hardly count her as a phase-mate. The same goes for Yosuke. For Rose."** A pause. " **For you, Viola."**

" **Perhaps it is more than just that. Perhaps it is my peculiar existence. An outlier. A terribly rare outlier."** She reached up and plucked a hair from her head and then held it up to the light. " **Blue and orange. What do you suppose they make of that? Those onlookers? Do their eyes pass over the green and red? Perhaps this is the source of my melancholy and my curiosity Viola."**

She got to her feet and dusted the folds of her dress off. " **Did I catch Juniper's eyes, and never her heart and soul?"**

Viola propped herself up on an elbow and looked at the gardevoir towering over her now. " **Does-"** She paused. " **Does it matter now? What if Juniper cares about you - about her** _ **friend**_ **, not a trophy? Her** _ **oddity**_ **, as you've said? Does she even dwell upon your odd coloration? I would guess it is of little consequence to her."**

Glory shrugged. " **She finds the colors pleasing. I can feel the pride swell in her when she presents me. When the eyes fall upon this blue and orange. I can feel what lives behind those eyes. The envy. The awe."** She ran her finger along her heartpiece and sighed. " **Sometimes even lust."** She began to walk away. " **I shall see you at tomorrow's class Viola. Thank you for sharing what you did. I apologize for attempting to probe too far."**

Viola laid flat on her back again and watched the cloudless sky in silence for a minute before she said at last, " **Rose?"**

The lilligant replied gleefully, " **Yes Viola?"**

" **You've never known that old devil, have you?"** she asked quietly.

The lilligant struggled to get to her feet and then began to dance idly. " **What old devil?"**

Viola got to her feet as well and began to trudge back to the trail that led them into the city again. " **Nevermind Rose. I was just thinking aloud."**

The lilligant bounded after her friend and said simply, " **Devils are just a myth anyway, aren't they?"** She passed up Viola and continued to bound towards the path. " **Catch up Viola!"**

The gardevoir looked down the path at Glory's tiny, retreating back. " **Not to some,"** whispered Viola.


	6. Chapter 6

Viola flipped the bag over in her hands several times, feeling the smooth fabric, textured straps and coarse lining of its interior. Bright white and adorned with a red cross on the flap, it would be an ideal bag for Glory's medical supplies. It certainly seemed large enough, anyway. She knew Glory's healing abilities only went so far before proper medical aid was required, but she also had never known her friend to lug around any sort of material to aid her in tending to her wounded comrades after a battle.

She held the bag out before her and smiled. It was a small trinket of appreciation, of thanks for her friendship, and hopefully a means to brighten, if only temporarily, Glory's generally glum demeanor as of late. With a smile, she glided to the cashier, humming all the while, and presented them with the bag.

The alakazam looked up from his book with mild disinterest and wiggled a finger at the bag - it went soaring out of Viola's hand and into a waiting paper bag to his left. He snapped his fingers and the handles of the unfolded themselves and sat straight up at attention.

" **Twenty-two hundred and seventy-eight."** He spared Viola a single glance to say this and then returned his gaze to his book.

The gardevoir chuckled in a valiant attempt to break the awkward air - and shrunk when other psychic's eyebrow raised long enough to throw her a look that made it clear he was in no mood for small talk. She reached into her pouch and produced a small credit chit and held it. Another finger waggle, another snap, a loud ping and a final wiggle and the chit was back in her outstretched hand.

" **Amount in full debited from chit. Current balance…"** His eyes raised from his book again and scanned the screen of the register for an instant before snapping back to the text and he finished, his voice flat, " **More than you need."**

Viola stared at the cashier for several seconds, hurt over just how unabashed the pokemon was in his rudeness, before she collected her purchase and swept herself from the store.

Now out of the shop, she let out a long sigh and clutched her purchase to her chest. The cool breeze of autumn whipped around her and lifted her spirits. With any luck, this parcel would lift Glory's. She looked out at the lazy streets of Celestic, at the people and Pokemon that crowded the sidewalks, and at the rare car that zipped by. She took a deep breath and looked up at the brilliant reds, yellows and oranges the leaves upon the trees that lined the sidewalks bore - her frown melted away, replaced instead with a smile that she wore as she made for home.

* * *

Viola plopped onto the couch in the living room and waved a hand in a wide arc at the television - it tipped backwards against the wall and turned on. She privately thanked _several_ gods for keeping her from completely destroying the device and stood up to stride over to it and fix it. She pulled the television properly upright, picked up the remote laying on the ground nearby, and returned to her seat. She tapped the power button and the screen came to life.

It was the news - but muted. A grim looking reporter stood before what appeared to be the Sinnohan Parliament building - police and police-mon moved in and out of frame. Viola unmuted the television and leaned forward.

" _...are expected to rise. The heads of both HICS and IRAS denied any involvement in the threats levied against the Parliament, indicating that their intent is to legislate change solely through peaceful referendum, activism and awareness campaigns. The Commissioner of the Hearthome Police Department has denied comment, stating that the investigation is still ongoing. SNBS will provide updates as they arrive. For those of you just joining us, a series of threats from several sources were called in against the Sinnohan Parliament and, following the discovery of unusual devices around Parliament and rumors of a teleportation relay in the building's basement being discovered, have prompted a total evacuation of the building…"_

Viola frowned, and pushed the region's politics from her mind as she switched off the television. Who she was - who Johannes was, both had come under increased scrutiny in the months since they had arrived. Televisions across the restaurants, stores, and cafes that she frequented with Johannes had begun to speak more and more about legislation, redefinition, the creation of new bureaus and the strong backlash every step they took was met with.

She had hoped the judging eyes of others would have abated completely in Sinnoh, and yet it seemed with each day someone new watched her and Johannes embrace with disapproval, disdain, or outright disgust. She stood up and wandered off to her studio, still pensive, and thought of the beaming smiles and little waves some passersby sent her way as she walked, hand in hand, with Johannes around Celestic. Somehow, these people didn't seem to diminish either, and for that she was grateful. With a sigh, she ran her hands through her hair and stepped into her studio, where a single, large canvas dominated the space. A swirling mix of blues and greens flowed and clashed against a flurry of reds and oranges into a single point of spiraling white and black upon the canvas of her current project.

She reached for a brush as the doorbell rang. _Odd_ , she thought to herself, _no one ever comes to call during the day._ She made her way to the front door and peered through the peephole and saw a morose face hidden away beneath a curtain of blue hair. She threw the door open, exclaiming, " **Glory?"**

The other gardevoir trained a brilliant orange eye on her and nodded, a small smile on her face. " **Forgive me for intruding; Juniper is off tending to Yosuke's wounds at the Center. He was a little too…"** She paused and giggled. " **Enthusiastic, let's call it, to train 'his absolute hardest', as he would say."** She clasped her hands behind her back and continued, " **So I decided to come and intrude. Is this alright?"**

Viola nodded, smiling herself, and pleased that Glory seemed decidedly more chipper than she did the last time they spoke. " **Of course, Glory,"** she replied, " **Please, come in. I actually have something I was hoping to give you!"**

The unusually colored gardevoir titled her head and followed her friend inside the house and onward to Viola's bedroom. She watched Viola rummage about her closet for a minute before she pulled a brilliant white bag emblazoned with a red cross and offered it to her. Glory took the bag from her gingerly and rolled it over in her hands several times, pulling the buckles on the strap until it was long enough to drape across her shoulder and rest on her hip. She looked down at it, impassive, but Viola saw the corner of her mouth twitch and curve upward as a broad smile spread itself across her face. She threw herself and Viola and embraced her, a gleeful squeal of thanks following closely behind.

" **It's wonderful Viola, thank you,"** she said joyously, pulling herself away and eyeing her friend with fondness in her eyes. " **But why did you purchase this for me?"**

Viola waved the question off. " **Not all gifts need reasons,"** she replied.

Glory giggled. " **If you say so. Thank you."** She inclined her head and then added, " **How goes your art?"**

With a frown Viola looked away from Glory and shrugged. " **I am… unsure. My current piece feels as if it's gotten a bit beyond me."** She gestured for her friend to follow her to her studio. " **At first it was a landscape and the sky near dusk…"** She pointed at the canvas. " **It was in portrait format at the time. But recently, with everything that has been happening, I felt as if it should have been more. I turned it sideways into a landscape, began painting the swirl in the center and now it seems as if I've lost my way."**

Glory's eyes ran from one end of the painting to the other, stopping long enough in the middle to trace the spirals. " **Do you intend to display this? Sell it?"** She paused. " **Destroy it?"**

With a sigh, Viola sat down on a stool and continued to stare at the painting. " **I don't know what to do with it. What even is it, but my worries?"** She laughed in spite of herself. " **I should ask Johannes about returning to Snowpoint. The bracing cold and imposing face of Mt. Coronet could be just the thing I need."**

A hand came to Viola's shoulder and Glory said, " **What worries you?"**

With a smile, Viola shook her head. " **I lied, Glory."** Her friend looked confused. " **I bought you that bag because I was hoping to make you feel better. In some small way. Show that you are more than an errant blue in a sea of green."**

Glory wrapped her arms around Viola, laughing. " **My worries over a phase-mate are mine alone, Viola. But I appreciate the sentiment. What is it that bothers** _ **you**_ **?"**

" **That something might happen."** Viola stood and walked to her painting to run a finger across one of the spirals, tracing it from its tip down to its origin. " **I could marry Johannes, Glory. Only here can I do that. I had some difficulty understanding the concept at first, back in Hoenn. But now…"** She pulled her finger away and gazed at the black paint on it. " **It's not so different from a phase-mate. It's certainly more official. More recognized."**

Glory beamed. " **I hardly see why you sound so melancholy about this. If that is the case, then tell him."**

Viola smiled. " **Were it so simple. It is an important change, and one that carries with it a great many implications. It could mean more sideways glances or outright hostility in the current climate."** She traced another arm of the spiral with a different finger this time. The cool white oil paint had yet to properly dry, and offered only light resistance as she dragged her finger along the arm.

" **But it is one I want. Desperately. It is something that shows, that others will know. When I embrace Johannes, only the most attentive know truly what it is what that has occurred. Only those with keen eyes see that this horn has phased. But humans have a mundane way of showing the world itself: a simple ring. I could shout my love in silence. Stand defiant in silence. Greet every sideways glance and sneer of derision with overwhelming silence. With a wave of my hand I can tell the world without so much as a single telepathic thought: we are the product of a land that peered into the old and forgotten - and pulled from it a new future.**

" **It is a bold proclamation, Glory. It is a tangible reminder of the odd audacity of what was and what now is. This is the culmination of hopes and dreams, fears and worries. It is a testament to peculiar love.** _ **My**_ **love. Johannes's love. It is something that, even if the time comes to face defeat, they cannot take from me."**


	7. Chapter 7

Johannes glanced down at the tiny box in his hand and let out a long sigh. A hand clapped him on the back and knocked the wind out of him. "Alright there, Talburn?" it asked gruffly.

With a sigh, Johannes pocketed the box and nodded. "Yeah. Just a bit nervous. Never done this before," he mumbled. "You got any advice, Dietrich?"

The man responded with a booming laugh and clapped him on the back again. "What are you, thick? It's not behavioral sciences."

With a roll of the eyes and a grin in spite of himself, Johannes shook his head. "It kind of is, if you think about it. This is almost trailblazing. Almost."

"Hah! Trailblazing! Johannes, please, you've seen the papers, the engravings, the books - all of it! We're making tracks on some overgrown footpath, not punching deep into the Johtoan wilderness. Look at you, you're the portrait of normalcy as far as this is concerned," replied Dietrich, a wide grin splitting his mustachioed face.

"Portrait of normalcy? What?" asked Johannes.

"A man in his late twenties, early thirties getting shacked up to his doting and loving gardevoir? Come on now, Johannes, you're more common than a magikarp in Kanto waters! How is the missus anyway?"

"She's doing fine," began Johannes. He paused. "Wait, did you say I'm common?"

Dietrich clapped him once more on the back and walked away, his confirmations a mishmash of words that wrapped around his hearty guffaws and gasps for breath. Johannes watched his retreating back and traced around the shape the box made in his pocket. He frowned.

* * *

Viola stared at her plate of salad with vague disinterest plastered on her face. Johannes frowned and tapped the small box he had hidden away in his pocket. _So much for taking her to dessert and… She's_ _just looked so glum the past few days. What's eating her?_ He lifted a piece of steak to his mouth and then set it down with a sigh. "Viola? What's the matter? Are you feeling alright?" he asked. He reached cross the table and placed his hand over hers.

The gardevoir seemed to snap out of a trance, and she glanced up at Johannes with a faraway look in her eyes. " _Johannes…"_ She squeezed his hand and then made for the ball that hung from her side. She unhooked it and laid it down on the table before them, placing a single digit on top of it, rocking it back and forth. " _What does this mean? What does having this really say?"_ Her hand began to glow as she pulled it away from the ball, and a second later a soft pink aura engulfed the device. It floated up and began to circle the two in a wide orbit.

Johannes opened his mouth but Viola cut him off. " _Not enough."_ The tones in his head were high and clear, ringing in his skull like a hundred bells. " _It is a nod to independence. But it does not say any more. A single message, clear as day. What about the other messages, Johannes?"_

The researcher stared down at his plate of steak salad and frowned. He cleared his throat and rose, the sound of his chair scraping across the floor echoing in the dining room. "Let's go for a walk."

Viola cocked her head. " _What? Johannes, were you not listening?"_ A soft cascade of reds fell across the tapestry in his head.

"Please, just - just trust me. Let's go for a walk." The gardevoir frowned and let her pokeball fall to the ground with a clatter.

" _Fine."_ She rose from her chair and made her way to the front door and outside without a word. Johannes shook his head, then knelt down to pick up her pokeball. He rolled it over in his hands several times and then smiled. He fished around in his pocket for the box, and then made his way outside to the path that led up to his home.

He strode up behind Viola and said, "There's a lake nearby. Let's head that way." He took her by the hand and pulled her towards a footpath that led into a forest. The soft rustle of leaves as they made their way up the path carried into the otherwise silent air.

" _Johannes? Where exactly are we headed?"_ she asked. Her question was answered with a swift smile and a pointed finger, drawing her eyes beyond the trees to the sparkling waters of a small lake. Viola fell silent and continued to walk alongside him, though her hand clenched his more tightly.

They came to stop at the water's edge, the soft orange sparkles of the setting sun bouncing off the glassy surface and crashing against the waves of blue and pink washing over the tapestry in his mind. Johannes released her hand and pulled her pokeball from his belt. "Before you ask, I just thought this would be more, uh, romantic."

Viola cocked her head. " _Romantic?"_ she asked.

"Look, you were talking about symbolism and stuff at dinner and what this means," he explained, shaking the ball once at her for emphasis. "I think you're right. It really only does mean so much, but it still says a lot. It says an awful lot about how you see yourself, and how I see you, and about freedom and-" He trailed off and rolled the ball over in his hands nervously.

"You've looked so glum the last few days. I thought maybe putting this off would have been a better idea, but, somehow, I think you might have gone and accidentally been getting at something I was already planning." He rolled the ball in his hand with increasing speed, his nerves getting the better of him. "That's fine, I think. You should just know, I think this ball is important. I think it means an awful lot, but, well, if you were hoping for more…" He trailed off again and shook his head. "I'm awful at this. Here, take it, and open it up. That'll say more than anything else that'll come out of my mouth." He held her ball out towards her.

Viola took the device from him and depressed the button for several seconds. With a loud beep, the ball opened for maintenance, revealing a shining golden ring. She fumbled the ball in her hands several times before catching a firm grip on it, and with a trembling hand, removed the ring from the ball and let the device fall to the grass with a soft _thump_. " _J-Johannes? I-is this…?"_

Johannes pulled the ring from her grasp and slipped it on her finger. "Getting it sized was a little difficult, but, it looks like it fits. I was worried it wasn't going-" The gardevoir launched herself at her partner, and Johannes felt wet patches begin to spread on his shirt, and chuckled in spite of himself. "Come on, don't hide your face away in my chest." He pulled her away and lifted her chin. Tears streamed down her face, leaving haphazard trails in their wake.

"What do you think? This the kind of message you wanted to send?" He kissed her forehead. "Will you marry me?"

She threw her arms around his neck and cried out in joy, and a rush of pinks filled his head to the brim. " _Yes."_

* * *

Johannes flipped through a catalog of catering services with a frown on his face. A pencil dangled precariously from his mouth as he read through their menu. "Mm… probably a pass on this one…" He jumped in his seat as his phone began to ring. He put the phone to his ear and said, "Johannes Talburn speaking."

"Jo! It's Eric. Just got your voicemail. I'll probably be there, which I know, sucks 'cos that's not an RSVP but-" There was a pause and then Eric's voiced dropped several levels. "Talia's on the fucking warpath man. She's somehow gotten wind about your marriage and it's like you're here again. She's complained out loud in my office so many times about how you got off easy and- well, anyway. You don't need this shit. Not when you're about to tie the knot. Anyway, look, I'll try my best to be there, okay? But if I don't show up, no hard feelings yeah?"

Johannes nodded. "Of course, Eric. I get it. No worries if you can't make it. I'll send you a video instead."

With a loud laugh, the man replied, "No, no. Video fucking evidence will make Talia snap. I'll just take a hard pass on it." A pause. "Got the honeymoon planned out?"

Johannes nodded again. "Yeah. I do." He shifted a set of brochures and pamphlets he had on the table in front of him around, and revealed a map of the so-called City of Lights. "Kalos."


End file.
